Saturday, 12 April 2014

Just as I am beginning to write this article my phone goes off. It's no surprise that when I go to check, I see tweets between Palaye Royaleand their fans known as 'Soldiers of the Royal Council' and I say to myself, 'The Boys are online' and smile because I know that I will read more wonderful interaction. (I have marked their tweets as favorites, which typically blows up the main screen on my phone at least four to six times in a 24 hour period because of their consistency in reaching out to their fan base on social media). They have just announced their debut on the Red Carpet at the MTV Movie Awards show tomorrow and their fans are tweeting back their excitement as fast and furiously as their thumbs will allow. This excitement derives from the Fashion Art Rock Bands recent win (out of 16 other bands beating out other A-listers such as Coldplay, Tokyo Hotel, and Linkin Park) from MTV's 'Musical March Madness' competition and made music history for being theFIRST UNSIGNED BAND EVERto accomplish this feat!

The 'Soldiers' have taken cue from the band members and have already begun tweeting, posting, (and even recording) the term 'Revolution' (watch video link submitted for this article by Ildiko Bodor), a concept that has begun with band members Sebastian Danzig, Remington Leith, Emerson Barret, and Joel Eliasson. Simply put, the band has begun to imprint their mark in the music industry and it shows NO SIGNS of slowing down anytime soon. What has inspired their fans even more is that they have thanked the Soldiers continuously throughout this journey through live tweet Q&A's, Facebook, and their You Tube Channel.

*Note: most script in BOLD lettering throughout this article is connected to a corresponding link. Enjoy!

Submitted photo by the Hungary Street Team. It is a screen shot of the voting results during the first round of the MTV #MMM Competition

At this time, I am writing about the observations I have been compiling over the last few weeks of the Soldiers while this competition has been going on. My summary is this: no where in the history of my existence have I witnessed the infectious kind of devotion and love for a band since the glory days of rock, and yes, I am easily using comparisons such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones and the like. In fact, when I began rumblings of compiling this article, I was inundated with photos and comments from a core group of individuals that have been consistently on top of the bands activity to date and I am certain that I have only scratched the surface.

The bands twitter following has jumped from 113,000 followers to 142,000 in the last 8 weeks and is a result of the devotion and time spent reaching out and connecting with their fans. Controversy during the voting became intense when the band battled it out against Tokyo Hotel (TH). Fans shielded comments meant to derail them from their primary goal of voting for Palaye Royale and banded together, stronger than ever as a family by staying consistent and positive. It became clear to me (in my observation) that they had become close, like a family, and received strong support when Sebastian Danzig (front man for the band on social media platforms) encouraged the Soldiers to 'win with grace'. The Soldiers took his advice and forged ahead with their goal: to see Palaye Royale win the tournament.

A sampling of flyers for Palaye Royale are being distributed all over the world in many countries (aside from North America) such as Japan, Europe, Hungary, Mexico, Greece, Australia, and Africa.

Charcoal drawing of Emerson Barrett by Ildiko (Hungary Street Team)

(edited) Fan Submitted photo by Soldier 'Ildiko' from
the 'Palaye Royale Hungary' Street Team.
This is a screenshot of a recent Skype interview with the band.

'Morning Light' tattoo photo from Amber Stephan which clearly depicts her fan devotion. Just one of many Palaye Royale fans who has committed themselves to this kind of dedication.

Photos of the band adorn the walls of many rooms in homes all over the world - Fan submitted Photo by Rachael Sattler

Endless hours and sleepless nights were spent clicking the mouse button on several tabs open on computer screens, laptops and even mobile devices across the world. Comments on twitter like, 'I am getting my Nutella (referencing Lead Singer Remington Leith's addiction for the chocolate spread) and coffee and pulling an all-nighter' were common as fans continued to forge ahead through each round. They pulled together one last time in the last round when the band came up against Linkin Park by following through with voting right up until the last second. On April 9th, 2014, the voting closed, and Palaye Royale had been announced as the winner of the MTV March Musical Madness tournament. Twitter was humming for days with an outpouring of excitement.

The following are some of the images submitted by fans all over the world

A screenshot of a chat one of the Soldiers submitted for this article.

So what is this it about the band that has begun this fan revolution? I took to the 'streets' (okay okay, the internet is a wondrous tool! *smiling*) with the fans themselves and asked them to comment on the MTV win for this article:

Amber Stephan -'As far as the voting goes, I do not quite know what to say. It encompassed a wide array of emotions, but every second was worth it. Some Soldiers in the Tokio Hotel round discussed a mass vote, and so I was able to organize the first one and it was truly incredible the response. I posted on Facebook and twitter, and then had updates throughout the day to assist individuals in remembering it was coming. The guys were wonderful in spreading the word as well, and it was a huge success! After that we did it again a couple more times , as you know because you were a part of it!, and it is truly remarkable to see the difference it makes when the soldiers come together. We went up 8 % in one hour when mass voting and it was wonderful!'

I was speechless the first time I heard Palaye Royale. They truly understand art and how to create music as it should be heard. Their talent, artistic vision, and dedication to their craft is what I adore most about them. They not only are brilliant musicians, but artists, filmmakers, and true visionaries.

Brittany Gonzales - 'I am extremely proud of them (Palaye) and I am grateful to have this opportunity to be apart of this 'Palaye Royale' movement or 'Revolution'. They don't know, or any else for that matter, doesn't know how much their music and them themselves have impacted my life.'

Marceline Connolly - 'dream with my eyes open, sleep when i'm dead, love who my heart chosen, conquer what lies ahead' were her words of inspiration for the band.

Rachael Sattler - 'They have changed my life for the better, and so many other people's lives as well, so they deserve the same for themselves through this victory. they are literally the only band I would have gone through all of that for. I have never felt such a sense of dedication for another band before.'

Bridget Reynolds - 'I had my doubts about the longevity of their time in the tournament, so when the final two came and they were there, a part of me was absolutely terrified, but at the same time elated. I knew that the Soldiers of the Royal Council would do anything they could to get them to win, including myself, so when the results came through and they had won I barely felt anything. Then it started to settle in and I was suddenly so filled with emotion. It feels so great to be a part of someone's victory, especially when it's involved with such talented individual's like Palaye Royale.'__________________________________

At the end of the day, and at the heart of it all is this: Palaye Royale are Recording Artists who HAVE begun a Revolution:

They create music through lyrics that is truly inspiring to people of all ages. They have uniquely touched the hearts of all their fans through their incredible talent and Art Films(click Link to see their latest: Cemetaries No. 2 Dreams of Liesel). They have the support of the Soldiers behind them and I foresee only Bigger and Brighter in the weeks and months to come as they head into yet another tournament: 'Battle of the Bands' at the Hard Rock Rising (this upcoming week!).

Congrats again Gentlemen, on a job well done and yet another accomplishment! You have impressed me from day one with everything you stand for; most importantly your music, which has inspired many people in countries all over the world to hit 'continuous play' on their stereos and iPods simply to hear it again and again. It is timeless perfection and classic Rock and Roll sound!

I have said it before and I will say it again: Palaye Royale IS the BAND OF THE CENTURY!

Friday, 7 March 2014

Original 'One of a Kind' Graphic Art Illustration by: Candice Anne Marshall for Palaye Royale & Palaye Royale Management
and is not available for reproduction at this time. This project was created in Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator Graphic Programs

I am not certain what it was that made me open the link from
a private message on my Twitter account four weeks ago, but I did (normally I
ignore what I think may be spammed messages, but this one in particular seemed
confident and genuine. ‘Enjoy our
music video for our single, "Get Higher". Check it out here: http://youtu.be/R3feE0RCLsw‘
it read. I can tell you what transpired for
me was a journey into another realm that only Palaye Royale fans could truly
understand. The best I can describe it is like Alice in Wonderland: A thrilling
journey of excitement, discovery and sheer amazement, rolled into a compact
ball of romance of the soul. I have officially hash tagged it #PalayePandemonium
as this is the only way to describe a true Indie band on the brink of a major
breakthrough/discovery.

In fact, almost every person begins listening to the unique
sound of their hit song ‘Get Higher’ (the band debut in a colorful Samsung
Galaxy commercial where the song was featured) and from the get-go, they are
transported into a time-warp flashback kaleidoscope of vintage colors, rock
sounds, and artistic creativity reminiscent of bands such as The Beatles, The
Cure and The Rolling Stones to name a few. It’s not long before one finds
themselves obsessively searching the net or scanning You Tube wanting to hear
more, see more, and know every single thing about them. It’s no small wonder:
not only are they incredibly talented, their keen unique fashion sense has
piqued the interest of anyone who is graced by their presence: donned in
leather, lace and chains these boys are all about making a statement through
image onstage, through film, and photos and they definitely have earned that
right.

Who are these talented young men? They are Emerson Barrett (drums), Sebastian Danzig (guitar), and Remington Leith (vocals) and for the last four weeks, I have silently observed on the sidelines, watching them work their magic among their fan base which has branched out all over Europe, Africa, Japan, South America, Mexico, United States and Canada and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The band is consistently on their Twitter reaching out and connecting to fans responding as often as they can. They leave no stone unturned when it comes to the dedication to their social media and have begun what is known among their fan base as a ‘Revolution’ inspiring several groups of people all over the world to form ‘teams’ known as ‘Soldiers of the Royal Council’.

Through this means, the band has managed to network a community (albeit a global community) of people of all races, ages, and genders to feel very connected to them on a more personal level. Thus the hashtag: #PalayePandemonium. What’s more, they pay their dues through live performances blowing the minds of everyone present. In the last 6-8 months they have performed at locations such as Soho House in New York and Lexington Social House in Los Angeles, California (where they are based) as recently as two nights ago. Today, they will be playing the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas for Battle of the Bands in the #HardRockRising event, where two of the three members originate from. (Danzig is Canadian – born in Toronto)

Recently, I had the privilege of privately interviewing Palaye Royale and was very impressed with the maturity, creativity, talent, respect and understanding these young men have of the music industry. It is apparent to me that their fan base is as vital to them as air: ‘Our fans amaze us every day. We are truly grateful for them and enjoy the messages and connecting with them on a more personal level. All age groups listen to our music. We have had people in their fifties wanting to hang out with us after a gig. It’s pretty cool,’ said Sebastian Danzig.

The band is just putting the finishing touches on a new 15 track 80 minute album to be released in the near future. ‘We actually have written 20 songs but will be narrowing it down to 15,’ said Emerson Barrett. In their 18 hour day, (which is a typical day) the three artists spend a good eight hours working their social media and the balance of the day is devoted to recording their album and live performances. It’s easy to see that this kind of dedication is worthy of recognition within the music industry and fans are already beginning to tweet radio stations and record labels within their communities to play their music or have them signed.

In addition to crafting their eccentric talent through music, band member Emerson Barrett has also inspired expression of art and creativity among the fan base by sharing photos of artwork that he has created. His creative genius comes from a wondrous mind that only true artists can understand. (See first graphic I created in this article – Barrett’s art is positioned, albeit graphically, behind Danzig, and the three artists autographs/signatures are strategically placed in the design) A Facebook Group of core fans frequently post drawings and paintings which are re-tweeted and shared by the band, a movement which has spurned many more talented young people to also tap into their creativity. And if this isn't enough, Barrett’s art is now being transcended into tattoo art; another craze that has dedicated fans inspired to imprint the bands image on them.

For the moment, Palaye Royale is an unsigned independent ‘Fashion Art Rock Band’ (new genre) who is literally on the brink of a major breakthrough. All I can say is this: if you haven’t heard them yet, written about them, been inspired to tap into your own creativity, listened to their music or watched their videos (they have a well-documented account of their journey on their You Tube channel!) then you are SERIOUSLY missing out! I guarantee, that if you do take the time to check them out, you will be as smitten as I am!

Congrats on all of your successes thus far gentlemen. I look forward to meeting you soon enough!

*UPDATE*

Just after this article was posted, Palaye Royale placed in the top two at #HardRockRising battle of the bands at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. They will battle it out once more on April 18th, 2014 for first place. The winning band will get the opportunity to perfrom in front of 40, 000 people at Hard Rock Live in Italy!

Subscribe to Palaye Royale's You Tube Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmtnvb5ParBm8yTuNROr6XQ

'LIKE' Palaye Royale's Facebook Fan Page:

https://www.facebook.com/PalayeRoyale

Follow Palaye Royale on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PalayeRoyale

_______________________________________________

Original (digitalized) Graphic
Illustration of autographs from Palaye Royale members:

Side Note: Stephanie Rachel , Management for Palaye Royale,
spent another hour on the phone with me after my initial interview with the
band. I have to say, this is one woman who truly knows her artists and was
gracious enough to reach out and connect with me. I was very honored to have
had the time to speak to her further about the boys and their rise to stardom
in the industry. She is a fiercely independent and intelligent woman who ultimately
has their best interest at heart and that speaks very well in my books. Hats
off to you Stephanie on a job well done!